A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
